Material spooling apparatus



| July 16, 1929. t s. McMULLAN 1.720.739

MATERIAL S POOLING APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 22, 1924 mi/ema/ Q fiL fia/zrz/e/ ///////d// Patented July 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,720,739 PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL MCMULLAN, F DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTERN ELEG- TRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N.

YORK.

Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW MATERIAL SPOOLING APPARATUS.

Original application filed October 22, 1924, Serial No. 745,090. Divided and this application filed January This invention relates to material spooling apparatus, and has as its object the provision of an inexpensive, effective and efficient device for guarding a take-up element of such an apparatus.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 745,090, filed October 22, 1924.

In accordance with the general features of this invention there is provided a device for guarding the take-up spool of a wire drawing apparatus, comprising a pair of substantially semi-cylindrical sections cooperating to form an enclosure for the spool, having an opening between the sections for the entranceof a wire being spooled, one of the sections being shiftable relative to the other section to permit replacement of the spool. In spooling drawn wire, which is usually accomplished at high speed, the wire may sometimes break, due to various causes, in which case the guard is so disposed that the free end of the wire will be drawn toward the spool and confined within the cylindrical limits of the guard, thereby preventing the free end of the wire from being thrown against any sharp edges of the machine, and forming free sections of wire which might cause in'uries to the attendants.

It is elieved that this invention will be clearly understood from the following desoription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating one embodiment thereof, in which Fig. l is a front elevation, parts being broken away, showing a wire drawing machine embodying features of this invention;

7 V Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view,

' partly in section, a portion of Fig. 1 showing the guard for the take-up spool, and

Fig. 3 is an end view thereof looking toward the left showing in dotted outline the position of the movable part of the guard when replacing a loaded spool with an empty one.

Referring now to the drawing in detail and particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, a framework 11 for supporting the various elements of a wire drawing apparatus embodying the features of this invention is shown fragmentarily. A'compartment 12 supported by the framework 11 is provided with an opening 13 in its front wall which is adapted to be closed Serial No. 164,184.

by a door or doors (not shown).

mounted in the compartment 12 is of integral capstans 1717 of creasing diameters.

Rotatably a plurality gradually in- The capstans 17 are fixed to a horizontal shaft 18 journaled in bearings (not shown) carried in the compartment 12 and driven by an electrical motor or other suitable source of power (not shown). Disposed above the shaft 18, are a plurality of sheaves or guide rolls 19 which are independently rotatable upon a horizontally mounted shaft 20 supported within the compartment 12. For a detailed illustration and description of the rolls 19, capstans 17 and driving mechanism for the latter, reference may be had to Patent 1,598,937 to John N. Selvig, dated September 7, 1926. The details of these elements have been omitted from the present application for the sake of simplicity, since a full disclosure ofthe particular construction of the rolls, capstans and driving mechanism is not essential to a complete understanding of this invention.

Mounted within the compartment 12 intermediate the capstans 17 and the rolls 19 is a die block 21 which supports a plurality of wire drawing dies (not shown) of gradually decreasing diameters. A supply (not shown) of wire 24 to be reduced in diameter is mounted near the bottom of the framework 11, the wire being guided from the supply over and under guide pulleys 26 and 27, respectively, and thence over the rear guide roll 19 and through the first reducing die supported by the block 21. The wire is then wound once around the capstan 17 of smallest diameter, after which it is passed upwardly and over the next roll 19, through the next reducing die and around the next capstan, etc., etc., until it is finally reduced to the correct diameter by the last die. .From the latter die the drawn wire 24 is passed around the capstan 17 of largest diameter, after which it is guided by sheaves 30 and 32 to a take-up spool 34 driven by suitable mechanism (not shown) mounted in a housing 35.

The take-up spool 34 is enclosed in a substantially cylindrical guard 36, comprising a semi-cylindrical stationary rear member 37 and a substantially semi-cylindrical front movable member 38. The member 37 is secured in any suitable manner, as bymeans of screws 39, to a circular shoulder 40 formed on the endface of the housing 35. Rotatably mounted upon a second circular shoulder 43 also formed on the end face of the housing 35 is an annular member 44 provided with a tongue 45 projecting therefrom, which tongue extends upwardly when the guard is in its normal or closed position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The movable member 38 of the guard 36 is secured to the annular mem be'r 4-4 and extends from the end of the tongue .50 cooperating with an annular depression 53vformed in the outer face of the annular member 44 maintains it freely rotatable upon the shoulder 43. The inner face of the member 44 is provided with two depressions 54 and 55, equi-distant from the axis of the member 44 and spaced 90 apart. Mounted within an opening. 58 in the end face of the housing 35 upon a line drawn vertically from the axis of the-housing and the same distance therefrom as the depressions 54 and from the axis of the member 44 is a steel ball 59 adapted to be pressed outwardly by a compression spring 60 positioned therebehind. The spring pressed ball 59 cooperating with the depressions 54 and 55 functions to retain'the movablemeinber 38 either in its normal or operative position as indicated in full lines in Figs. 2 and 3- or in its inoperative position as indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 3. It willbe observed by referring to Fig. 3 that the space between the rolled beads 46 and 47 upon the upper ends of the members 37 and 38,-respectively, is in the form of a slot through which the wire 24, to be wound upon the spool 34, enters the guard and over which space distributor fingers 61 move in distributing the wire upon the spool. It will also be observed that the flat portion of the movable member 38 extends upwardly in V front of the fingers 61, thereby providing a guard therefor.

In the operation of spooling drawn wire, which is usually done at high speed, the wire at t-imes breaks, due to diiferent causes, and this breakage immediately causes an increase inthe speed of the take-up spool, with the result that the free end of the wire attached to the spool is thrown with great force, as it is revolved by the spool, against any sharp edges presented, which act to sever the wire into, sections 'and'scatter them about, thus constituting a source of danger to the attendants. The guard as described hereinbefore follows the contour of the spool and when the wire breaks, no sharp edges are presented to sever the wire, the free end of the wire merely being drawn intotheenclosure-formed by the members 37 and 38 and wound up on the spool. To replace a spool, the-member 38 is rotated counter-cloclnvise by pressing outwardly and downwardly upon the upper end thereof until it assumes the positionindicated in dotted outline in Fig. 3, whereupon the spring pressed ball 59*will snap into the depression 55 and retain it in its open position.

/Vhat isclaimed is:' p

1. A device for guardinga take-up element of a material spooling mechanism, comprising a two section cylindrical housing having a substantially horizontalaxis arranged to substantially surround the periphery of the element, the sections disposed at their upper ends to provide an opening. therebetween for thev entrance of the material being spooled, means for mounting the sections, one of the sections adapted to be shifted upon its mounting around the other section to permit replacement of the take-up element, and latching means for retaining the-shiftable section in its operative and openpositionsr 2. A device for guarding a take-upelement' of a strand material spoofing-mechanism, comprising a two SGCtlOIl housing arranged to substantially surround the periphery ofthe element, and means for mounting the sections whereby one section may be rolled within the other to permit replacement of the take-up element, the free-portions of the sections provided with smooth rounded spaced parallel edges for the entrance ofthe material being spooled.

3. A device for guardinga take-up element of a material spoolin mechanism, comprising amovable cylindrical section fastened to an annular member=havingdepressions for holding the section in 'a predetermined position, a fixed section concentrictherewith, and

means for journaling the annular member whereby the movable section can be rotated with. respect to the fixed section to, permit replacement of the take up element.

4. In combination with a take-up mechanism for a wire drawing machine, a device substantially surrounding the take-up mechanism for protecting the operator, comprising a fixed section, and a movable section having.

a tongue extending above and beyond the fixed section, the sections beingspaced apart to provide an opening for'the entrance of the wire being received from the wire drawing machine and movable relative'to oneanother to enlarge the opening;-

5. A device for guarding. atake-up element-of a material spoolingmechanism, comprising a fixed section partially surrounding. v the take-up element, a rotatable annular member having spaced depressions, a movable section attached to and rotatable with the annular member, a support for the material spooling mechanism, a means fastened to the support for retaining the rotatable annular member in position, and means for engaging the spaced depressions on the annular member for holding the movable section in predetermined positions with respect to the fixed section.

6. In combination with a take-up mechanism for a wire drawing machine, a device substantially surrounding the take-up mechanism for protecting the operator, comprising a fixed section substantially semi-cylindrical, an annular member rotatable therein and having spaced depressions, a movable section secured to the annular member and having a straight end portion extending above the upper part of the fixe'd section for confining the free end of a moving wire on the take-up mechanism, a support for maintaining the rotatable annular member in position, and a spring pressed member housed within the support for engaging the spaced depressions on the annular member for holding the movable section in predetermined positions relative to the fixed section.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 14th day of January, A. D.

SAMUEL MCMULLAN. 

